Intelligent electronic device with expandable functionality

ABSTRACT

An intelligent electronic device (IED) is provided. The IED includes a metering sub-assembly and an input base module sub-assembly. The metering sub-assembly is hinged to the input base module sub-assembly, where when in an open position, various cables, connectors, and input/output cards/modules are accessible. Various input/output cards/modules are interchangeable to add/change functionality and/or communication capabilities to the IED.

PRIORITY

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/056,537 filed Feb. 29, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,897,461, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/126,049 filed Feb. 27, 2015, entitled “INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICE”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates generally to intelligent electronic devices (IEDs).

Description of the Related Art

Monitoring of electrical energy by consumers and providers of electric power is a fundamental function within any electric power distribution system. Electrical energy may be monitored for purposes of usage, equipment performance and power quality. Electrical parameters that may be monitored include volts, amps, watts, vars, power factor, harmonics, kilowatt hours, kilovar hours and any other power related measurement parameters. Typically, measurement of the voltage and current at a location within the electric power distribution system may be used to determine the electrical parameters for electrical energy flowing through that location.

Devices that perform monitoring of electrical energy may be electromechanical devices, such as, for example, a residential billing meter or may be an intelligent electronic device (“IED”). Intelligent electronic devices typically include some form of a processor. In general, the processor is capable of using the measured voltage and current to derive the measurement parameters. The processor operates based on a software configuration. A typical consumer or supplier of electrical energy may have many intelligent electronic devices installed and operating throughout their operations. IEDs may be positioned along the supplier's distribution path or within a customer's internal distribution system. IEDs include revenue electric watt-hour meters, protection relays, programmable logic controllers, remote terminal units, fault recorders and other devices used to monitor and/or control electrical power distribution and consumption IEDs are widely available that make use of memory and microprocessors to provide increased versatility and additional functionality. Such functionality includes the ability to communicate with remote computing systems, either via a direct connection, e.g., a modem, a wireless connection or a network IEDs also include legacy mechanical or electromechanical devices that have been retrofitted with appropriate hardware and/or software allowing integration with the power management system.

Typically, an IED is associated with a particular load or set of loads that are drawing electrical power from the power distribution system. The IED may also be capable of receiving data from or controlling its associated load. Depending on the type of IED and the type of load it may be associated with, the IED implements a power management function that is able to respond to a power management command and/or generate power management data. Power management functions include measuring power consumption, controlling power distribution such as a relay function, monitoring power quality, measuring power parameters such as phasor components, voltage or current, controlling power generation facilities, computing revenue, controlling electrical power flow and load shedding, or combinations thereof.

SUMMARY

An intelligent electronic device (IED) is provided.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an intelligent electrical device (IED) includes an input base module sub-assembly including base having a plurality of apertures, a first, second, and third current input blade disposed in a respective aperture and a corresponding fourth, fifth, and sixth input current blade disposed in a respective aperture; a metering sub-assembly including a first, second, and third current plate disposed on a first surface of the metering sub-assembly and a corresponding fourth, fifth, and sixth current plate disposed on a second surface of the metering sub-assembly opposite to the first surface, the first current plate coupled to the first current input blade, the second current plate coupled to the second current input blade, the third current plate hingedly coupled to the third current input blade, the fourth current plate coupled to the fourth current input blade, the fifth current plate coupled to the fifth current input blade, and the sixth current plate hingedly coupled to the sixth current input blade, wherein the input base module sub-assembly can be pivoted about the third current plate and third current input blade and the sixth current plate and sixth current input blade to achieve an open position and a closed position relative to the metering sub-assembly; and at least one current sensor that senses current provided to a respective current input blade.

In one aspect, a combined width of the first, second, and third current plates substantially covers the first surface of the metering sub-assembly and a combined width of the fourth, fifth, and sixth current plates substantially covers the second surface of the metering sub-assembly.

In another aspect, the metering sub-assembly includes a bezel that supports a display.

In a further aspect, the IED includes a battery backup circuit for a real-time clock, wherein a removable battery is hot-swappable.

In yet another aspect, a battery detection is configured to detect if a removable battery is coupled to a battery receptacle and if the removable battery is holding a predetermined charge.

In another aspect, at least one voltage input blade is coupled to a filter/suppression module of the input base module sub-assembly.

In a further aspect, at least one spring contact is disposed on a surface of the filter/suppression module, wherein the at least one spring contact is coupled to at least one voltage input blade.

In yet another aspect, the metering sub-assembly includes at least one slot that is accessible when the metering sub-assembly is in an open position relative to the input base module sub-assembly, the at least one slot configured to receive a card to add functionality and/or communication capability to the IED.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a device for filtering sensed voltage and providing power to an intelligent electronic device is provided including at least one contact pad coupled to at least one voltage input, the at least one voltage input senses at least one voltage phase of an electrical distribution system; at least one current limiter coupled to the at least one contact pad; at least one suppressor coupled to the current limiter; and at least one rectifier coupled to the at least one current limiter and at least one suppressor. The filtering device provides full surge suppression at transient voltage conditions, i.e., the filtering device snubs transient voltage events that traditionally damage conventional meters and thus improves reliability of meters/IEDs utilizing the filtering device of the present disclosure.

In one aspect, the filtering device includes varistors for suppressing phase-to-phase voltage transients, while a clamping device suppresses phase-to-earth voltage transients.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from a consideration of the following Detailed Description considered in conjunction with the drawing Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an intelligent electronic device (IED), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an intelligent electronic device (IED) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate exemplary form factors for an intelligent electronic device (IED) in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 with a cover removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 with an outer housing removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a top side view of the IED shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the IED shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a bottom side view of the IED shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a right side view of the IED shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is another exploded view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a metering sub-assembly shown in FIG. 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the IED illustrating current bars installed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of an IED illustrating a current wrap configuration in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13B is a perspective front of a current plate holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13C is a front view of the current plate holder shown in FIG. 13B.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 13A with a current holder plate installed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 3 with a battery door removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a partial perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 3 with a battery drawer removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17A is an exploded view of an input base module sub-assembly shown in FIG. 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17B is a front perspective view of a base in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 17C is a rear perspective view of a base in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a partial cross section of the input base module sub-assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 illustrates a voltage terminal contacting an input filter board in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20A is a perspective view of the input base module sub-assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 20B and 20C illustrate a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of a filter box cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 is a side perspective view of the input base module sub-assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a rear left perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23A is a perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 5 hinged open in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23B illustrates a patch cable in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23C is a front view of a connector of the patch cable shown in FIG. 23B.

FIG. 23D is a side view of the connector shown in FIG. 23C.

FIG. 23E illustrates a patch cable in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a top side view of the IED shown in FIG. 23 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a side elevational view of the IED shown in FIG. 23 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 26 illustrates the IED shown in FIG. 23 with various input/output cards removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27A illustrates a top surface of a filter board in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27B illustrates a bottom surface of a filter board in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 illustrates a filter board assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 is an electrical schematic diagram of a filter/suppression circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 30 is an electrical schematic diagram of a battery backup circuit for a real-time clock (RTC) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any configuration or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other configurations or designs. Herein, the phrase “coupled” is defined to mean directly connected to or indirectly connected with through one or more intermediate components. Such intermediate components may include both hardware and software based components.

It is further noted that, unless indicated otherwise, all functions described herein may be performed in either hardware or software, or some combination thereof. In one embodiment, however, the functions are performed by at least one processor, such as a computer or an electronic data processor, digital signal processor or embedded micro-controller, in accordance with code, such as computer program code, software, and/or integrated circuits that are coded to perform such functions, unless indicated otherwise.

It should be appreciated that the present disclosure can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, a method, or a computer readable medium such as a computer readable storage medium or a computer network where program instructions are sent over optical or electronic communication links.

As used herein, intelligent electronic devices (“IEDs”) can be any device that senses electrical parameters and computes data including, but not limited to, Programmable Logic Controllers (“PLC's”), Remote Terminal Units (“RTU's”), electric power meters, panel meters, protective relays, fault recorders, phase measurement units, serial switches, smart input/output devices and other devices which are coupled with power distribution networks to manage and control the distribution and consumption of electrical power. A meter is a device that records and measures power events, power quality, current, voltage waveforms, harmonics, transients and other power disturbances. Revenue accurate meters (“revenue meter”) relate to revenue accuracy electrical power metering devices with the ability to detect, monitor, report, quantify and communicate power quality information about the power that they are metering.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an intelligent electronic device (IED) 10 for monitoring and determining power usage and power quality for any metered point within a power distribution system and for providing a data transfer system for faster and more accurate processing of revenue and waveform analysis.

The IED 10 of FIG. 1 includes a plurality of sensors 12 coupled to various phases A, B, C and neutral N of an electrical distribution system 11, a plurality of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters 14, including inputs coupled to the sensor 12 outputs, a power supply 16, a volatile memory 18, a non-volatile memory 20, a multimedia user interface 22, and a processing system that includes at least one of a central processing unit (CPU) 50 (or host processor) and one or more digital signal processors, two of which are shown, i.e., DSP1 60 and DSP2 70. The IED 10 also includes a Field Programmable Gate Array 80 which performs a number of functions, including, but not limited to, acting as a communications gateway for routing data between the various processors 50, 60, 70, receiving data from the A/D converters 14, performing transient detection and capture and performing memory decoding for CPU 50 and the DSP processor 60. In one embodiment, the FPGA 80 is internally comprised of two dual port memories to facilitate the various functions. It is to be appreciated that the various components shown in FIG. 1 are contained within housing 90. Exemplary housings will be described below in relation to FIGS. 2 and 2A-2D.

The plurality of sensors 12 sense electrical parameters, e.g., voltage and current, on incoming lines, (i.e., phase A, phase B, phase C, neutral N), from an electrical power distribution system 11 e.g., an electrical circuit. In one embodiment, the sensors 12 may include current transformers and potential/voltage transformers, wherein one current transformer and one voltage transformer may be coupled to each phase of the incoming power lines. A primary winding of each transformer may be coupled to the incoming power lines and a secondary winding of each transformer may output a voltage representative of the sensed voltage and current. The output of each transformer may be coupled to the A/D converters 14 configured to convert the analog output voltage from the transformer to a digital signal that can be processed by the CPU 50, DSP1 60, DSP2 70, FPGA 80 or any combination thereof.

A/D converters 14 are respectively configured to convert an analog voltage output to a digital signal that is transmitted to a gate array, such as Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) 80. The digital signal is then transmitted from the FPGA 80 to the CPU 50 and/or one or more DSP processors 60, 70 to be processed in a manner to be described below.

The CPU 50 or DSP Processors 60, 70 are configured to operatively receive digital signals from the A/D converters 14 (see FIG. 1) to perform calculations necessary to determine power usage and to control the overall operations of the IED 10. In some embodiments, CPU 50, DSP1 60, DSP2 70 and FPGA 80 may be combined into a single processor, serving the functions of each component. In some embodiments, it is contemplated to use an Erasable Programmable Logic Device (EPLD) or a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) or any other programmable logic device in place of the FPGA 80. In some embodiments, the digital samples, which are output from the A/D converters 14, are sent directly to the CPU 50 or DSP processors 60, 70, effectively bypassing the FPGA 80 as a communications gateway, thus eliminating the need for FPGA 80 in certain embodiments.

The power supply 16 provides power to each component of the IED 10. In one embodiment, the power supply 16 is a transformer with its primary windings coupled to the incoming power distribution lines 11 and having windings to provide a nominal voltage, e.g., 5 VDC, +12 VDC and −12 VDC, at its secondary windings. In other embodiments, power may be supplied from an independent power source to the power supply 16. For example, power may be supplied from a different electrical circuit or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

In one embodiment, the power supply 16 may be a switch mode power supply in which the primary AC signal will be converted to a form of DC signal and then switched at high frequency, such as, for example, 100 Khz, and then brought through a transformer to step the primary voltage down to, for example, 5 Volts AC. A rectifier and a regulating circuit may then be used to regulate the voltage and provide a stable DC low voltage output. Other embodiments, such as, but not limited to, linear power supplies or capacitor dividing power supplies are also contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

The multimedia user interface 22 is shown coupled to the CPU 50 in FIG. 1 for interacting with a user and for communicating events, such as alarms and instructions to the user. The multimedia user interface 22 may include a display 23 for providing visual indications to the user and a front panel interface 21 including indictors, switches and various inputs. The display 23 may be embodied as a touch screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plurality of IED number segments, individual light bulbs or any combination. The display may provide information to the user in the form of alpha-numeric lines, computer-generated graphics, videos, animations, etc. The multimedia user interface 22 further includes a speaker or audible output means for audibly producing instructions, alarms, data, etc. The speaker is coupled to the CPU 50 via a digital-to-analog converter (D/A) for converting digital audio files stored in a memory 18 or non-volatile memory 20 to analog signals playable by the speaker. An exemplary interface is disclosed and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,442,660, entitled “INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING AUDIBLE AND VISUAL INTERFACE”, which claims priority to expired U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 60/731,006, filed Oct. 28, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

It is to be appreciated that the display and/or user interface 22 of the present disclosure is programmable and may be configured to meet the needs of a specific user and/or utility. An exemplary programmable display and/or user interface 22 is disclosed and described in commonly owned pending U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0010831, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0010831 provides for defining screens of a display on a revenue based energy meter, an intelligent electronic device, etc. In one embodiment, a method utilizes Modbus registers and defines a programming technique wherein a user can custom make any desired screen for every application based on what a user needs. The programming utilizes Modbus registers maps to allow for the customizable screens. Moreover, the display interface allows for customized labeling to provide notice and information to users as to measured parameters other than electricity that the meter might be accumulating such as steam, water, gas or other type of commodity.

The IED 10 will support various file types including but not limited to Microsoft Windows Media Video files (.wmv), Microsoft Photo Story files (.asf), Microsoft Windows Media Audio files (.wma), MP3 audio files (.mp3), JPEG image files (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jfif), MPEG movie files (.mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .mlv, .mp2v .mpeg2), Microsoft Recorded TV Show files (.dvr-ms), Microsoft Windows Video files (.avi) and Microsoft Windows Audio files (.wav).

An input/output (I/O) interface 25 may be provided for receiving inputs generated externally from the IED 10 and for outputting data, e.g., serial data, a contact closure, etc., to other devices. In one embodiment, the I/O interface 25 may include a connector for receiving various cards and/or modules that increase and/or change the functionality of the IED 10. Such cards and/or module will be further described below.

The IED 10 further comprises a volatile memory 18 and a non-volatile memory 20. In addition to storing audio and/or video files, volatile memory 18 may store the sensed and generated data for further processing and for retrieval when called upon to be displayed at the IED 10 or from a remote location. The volatile memory 18 includes internal storage memory, e.g., random access memory (RAM), and the non-volatile memory 20 includes non-removable and removable memory such as magnetic storage memory; optical storage memory, e.g., the various types of CD and DVD media; solid-state storage memory, e.g., a CompactFlash card, a Memory Stick, SmartMedia card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), SD (Secure Digital) memory; or any other memory storage that exists currently or will exist in the future. By utilizing removable memory, an IED can be easily upgraded as needed. Such memory may be used for storing historical trends, waveform captures, event logs including time-stamps and stored digital samples for later downloading to a client application, web-server or PC application.

In a further embodiment, the IED 10 may include a communication device 24, also know as a network interface, for enabling communications between the IED or meter, and a remote terminal unit, programmable logic controller and other computing devices, microprocessors, a desktop computer, laptop computer, other meter modules, etc. The communication device 24 may be a modem, network interface card (NIC), wireless transceiver, etc. The communication device 24 may perform its functionality by hardwired and/or wireless connectivity. The hardwire connection may include but is not limited to hard wire cabling e.g., parallel or serial cables, RS232, RS485, USB cable, Firewire (1394 connectivity) cables, Ethernet, and the appropriate communication port configuration. The wireless connection may operate under any of the various wireless protocols including but not limited to Bluetooth™ interconnectivity, infrared connectivity, radio transmission connectivity including computer digital signal broadcasting and reception commonly referred to as Wi-Fi or 802.11.X (where x denotes the type of transmission), satellite transmission or any other type of communication protocols, communication architecture or systems currently existing or to be developed for wirelessly transmitting data including spread spectrum 900 MHz, or other frequencies, Zigbee, WiFi, or any mesh enabled wireless communication.

The IED 10 may communicate to a server or other computing device such as a client via the communication device 24. The client may comprise any computing device, such as a server, mainframe, workstation, personal computer, hand held computer, laptop, telephony device, network appliance, other IED, Programmable Logic Controller, Power Meter, Protective Relay etc. The IED 10 may be connected to a communications network, e.g., the Internet, by any means, for example, a hardwired or wireless connection, such as dial-up, hardwired, cable, DSL, satellite, cellular, PCS, wireless transmission (e.g., 802.11a/b/g), etc. It is to be appreciated that the network may be a public or private intranet, an extranet, a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet or any network that couples a plurality of computers to enable various modes of communication via network messages. Furthermore, the server may communicate using various protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc. and secure protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol, etc. Communications may also include IP tunneling protocols such as those that allow virtual private networks coupling multiple intranets or extranets together via the Internet. The server may further include a storage medium for storing a database of instructional videos, operating manuals, etc.

In an additional embodiment, the IED 10 may also have the capability of not only digitizing waveforms, but storing the waveform and transferring that data upstream to a central computer, e.g., a remote server, when an event occurs such as a voltage surge or sag or a current short circuit. This data may be triggered and captured on an event, stored to memory, e.g., non-volatile RAM, and additionally transferred to a host computer within the existing communication infrastructure either immediately in response to a request from a remote device or computer to receive said data in response to a polled request. The digitized waveform may also allow the CPU 50 to compute other electrical parameters such as harmonics, magnitudes, symmetrical components and phasor analysis. Using the harmonics, the IED 10 may also calculate dangerous heating conditions and can provide harmonic transformer derating based on harmonics found in the current waveform.

In a further embodiment, the IED 10 may execute an e-mail client and may send e-mails to the utility or to the customer direct on an occasion that a power quality event occurs. This allows utility companies to dispatch crews to repair the condition. The data generated by the meters are used to diagnose the cause of the condition. The data may be transferred through the infrastructure created by the electrical power distribution system. The email client may utilize a POP3 or other standard mail protocol. A user may program the outgoing mail server and email address into the meter. An exemplary embodiment of said metering is available in U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,563, which all contents thereof are incorporated by reference herein. In the U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,563, at least one processor of the IED or meter is configured to collect the at least one parameter and generate data from the sampled at least one parameter, wherein the at least one processor is configured to act as a server for the IED or meter and is further configured for presenting the collected and generated data in the form of web pages.

In a further embodiment, the IED 10 of the present disclosure may communicate data from an internal network to a server, client, computing device, etc. on an external network through a firewall, as disclosed and described in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0031201, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The techniques of the present disclosure can be used to automatically maintain program data and provide field wide updates upon which IED firmware and/or software can be upgraded. An event command can be issued by a user, on a schedule or by digital communication that may trigger the IED 10 to access a remote server and obtain the new program code. This will ensure that program data will also be maintained allowing the user to be assured that all information is displayed identically on all units.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors, or a combination thereof. The IED 10 also includes an operating system and micro instruction code. The various processes and functions described herein may either be part of the micro instruction code or part of an application program (or a combination thereof) which is executed via the operating system.

It is to be further understood that because some of the constituent system components and method steps depicted in the accompanying figures may be implemented in software, or firmware, the actual connections between the system components (or the process steps) may differ depending upon the manner in which the present disclosure is programmed. Given the teachings of the present disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the related art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations or configurations of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that the components and devices of the IED 10 of FIG. 1 may be disposed in various housings depending on the application or environment.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the IED of the present disclosure may be configured as a socket meter 100, also known as a S-base type meter or type S meter. The meter 100 includes a main housing 102 surrounded by a cover 104. The cover 104 is preferably made of a clear material to expose a display 106 disposed on a bezel 108 of the housing 102. An interface 110 to access the display and a communication port 112 is also provided and accessible through the cover 104. The interface 110 may include a switch, for example, to reset values, and/or buttons for entering or confirming input values. The meter 100 further includes a plurality of current terminals and voltage terminals (not shown) disposed on the backside of the meter extending through a base 114, the details of which will be described below. The terminals are designed to mate with matching jaws of a detachable meter-mounting device, such as a revenue meter socket. The socket is hard wired to the electrical circuit and is not meant to be removed. To install an S-base meter, the utility need only plug in the meter into the socket. Once installed, a socket-sealing ring (not shown) is used as a seal between the meter housing 102 and/or cover 104 and the meter socket to prevent removal of the meter and to indicate tampering with the meter.

In a further embodiment, the IED 100 of FIG. 2 may be disposed in a switchboard or draw-out type housing 116 as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, where FIG. 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is a rear view. The switchboard enclosure 116 usually features a cover 118 with a transparent face 120 to allow the meter display 106 to be read and the user interface 110 to be interacted with by the user. The cover 118 also has a sealing mechanism (not shown) to prevent unauthorized access to the meter. A rear surface 122 of the switchboard enclosure 116 provides connections for voltage and current inputs 124 and for various communication interfaces 126. Although not shown, the meter disposed in the switchboard enclosure 116 may be mounted on a draw-out chassis which is removable from the switchboard enclosure 116. The draw-out chassis interconnects the meter electronics with the electrical circuit. The draw-out chassis contains electrical connections which mate with matching connectors 124, 126 disposed on the rear surface 122 of the enclosure 116 when the chassis is slid into place. Exemplary housings, enclosures and/or cases are shown and described in commonly owned U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D706,659, D706,660, D708,082 and D708,533.

In yet another embodiment, the IED 100 of FIG. 2 may be disposed in a A-base or type A housing as shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D. A-base meters 128 feature bottom connected terminals 130 on the bottom side of the meter housing 132. These terminals 130 are typically screw terminals for receiving the conductors of the electric circuit (not shown). A-base meters 128 further include a meter cover 134, meter body 136, a display 138 and input/output means 140. Further, the meter cover 134 includes an input/output interface 142. The cover 134 encloses the meter electronics 144 and the display 138. The cover 134 has a sealing mechanism (not shown) which prevents unauthorized tampering with the meter electronics.

It is to be appreciated that other housings and mounting schemes, e.g., circuit breaker mounted, are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 10, housing 102 includes an upper clam shell half 150 and a lower clam shell half 152. The upper clam shell half 150 and lower clam shell half 152 are secured to each other via a plurality of screws 149. Each of the upper clam shell half 150 and the lower clam shell half 152 include a plurality of louvers 200 to allow heat to escape. In one embodiment, the upper clam shell half 150 and lower clam shell half 152 each include a shiny or reflective finish, e.g., a chrome finish, on an outer surface to reflect sunlight in outdoor applications to avoid heating up the internal components of the IED 100. In one embodiment, the reflective finish is applied to the upper clam shell half 150 and lower clam shell half 152 as a first sticker 151 and a second sticker 153, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 10. Internal to the housing 102, the IED 100 includes a metering sub-assembly 154 and an input base module sub-assembly 156, the details of which will be described below. As shown in FIG. 4, the metering sub-assembly 154 is hinged to the input base module sub-assembly 156. When in an open position, various cables, connectors, and input/output cards/modules are exposed, as will be described below.

Referring to FIGS. 5-9, various views of the IED 100 are illustrated with the housing 102 removed. The metering sub-assembly 154 is hinged to the input base module sub-assembly 156 via current plates 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168 and current input blades 170, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180 respectively. Each current plate is coupled to a respective current input blade via spring loaded screw. For example, current plate 158 is coupled to current input 170 via screw 182, current plate 160 is coupled to current input 172 via screw 184, current plate 162 is coupled to current input 174 via screw 186, current plate 164 is coupled to current input 176 via screw 188, current plate 166 is coupled to current input 178 via screw 190 and current plate 168 is coupled to current input 180 via screw 192. The current input path for each combination of current plates and current inputs is completed by a current bar 194, 196, 198. For example, when the IED is coupled to a three phase system, the current input path for phase A flows through current input 170 to current plate 158 through current bar 194 through current plate 164 and through current input 176. The current input path for phase B flows through current input 172 to current plate 160 through current bar 196 through current plate 166 and through current input 178. The current input path for phase C flows through current input 174 to current plate 162 through current bar 198 through current plate 168 and through current input 180. It is to be appreciated that the current bars 194, 196, 198 pass through current sensing circuits disposed within metering sub-assembly 154, the details of which will be described below. Additionally, the current inputs, current plates and current bars may be made of highly electrically conductive material such as copper, however, other materials may be used.

It is further to be appreciated that the current plates 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168 are relatively wide to have increased surface area. The increased surface area allows high current to pass through. Additionally, the large surface area of the current plates 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168 act as a heat sink drawing heat generated internal to the metering sub-assembly 154 and dissipating such heat through ventilation slots or louvers 200 disposed on the housing 102. In certain embodiments, the delta T, i.e., temperature change, of the heat drawn away and dissipated by the current plates is approximately 10 degrees F. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, the louvers 200 are positioned on a respective calm shell half 150, 152 to approximately align over respective current plates to allow heat to dissipate through the louvers 200. To facilitate drawing heat away from the internal electronic components of the metering sub-assembly 154, current plates 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168 are disposed on at least one surface of an inner housing 206 of the metering sub-assembly 154. For example, referring to FIG. 5, current plate 160 includes at least a first aperture 146 and at least a second aperture 148, where the first and second apertures 146, 148 align and secure the current plate 160 via alignment post 155 and locking tab 157. Although not specifically pointed out, each current plate includes at least one first aperture for receiving an alignment post and at least one second aperture for receiving a securing or locking tab, e.g., a mushroom tab. As can be seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8, the combined widths of current plates 158, 160, 162 substantially cover a first surface 145, or top surface, of the inner housing, while current plates 164, 166, 168 substantially cover a second surface 147, or bottom surface. Also, it is to be appreciated that, in one embodiment, housing 206 of metering sub-assembly 154 also includes louvers 201 to further aid in the dissipation of heat generated by the IED. Generally, the current plates are aligned over the louvers 201 to draw heat from the inside of the housing 206.

FIG. 10 is another exploded view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The upper clam shell half 150 and lower clam shell half 152 of the housing 102 are illustrated. The metering sub-assembly 154 and an input base module sub-assembly 156 are shown spaced apart from each other.

Referring to FIG. 11, an exploded view of the metering sub-assembly 154 is illustrated. The metering sub-assembly 154 includes an upper inner case 202 and lower inner case 204 to collectively form an inner housing 206. The upper inner case 202 and lower inner case 204 are coupled together, for example, by screws 205. A back plate 208 is disposed on a rear portion of the inner housing 206. A DSP board assembly 210 is disposed on a front portion 207 of the inner housing 206. The DSP board assembly 210 includes the display 106 and at least one processor on a rear surface thereof. In one embodiment, the display 106 may be a touch sensitive display or user interface as disclosed and described in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0180613, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In one embodiment, a user may interact with the display 106 by directly touching a surface of the display 106. In another embodiment, a user may interact with the display 106 while the cover 104 is disposed over the IED 100 by touching a portion of the cover 104 that is approximately aligned over the display 106.

A VIP board assembly 212 is disposed in the inner housing 206 perpendicular to the DSP board assembly 210 and electrically coupled thereto. The VIP board assembly 212 includes a plurality of current sensors 214 disposed thereon. The current sensors 214 are positioned on the VIP board assembly 212 to accept the current bars 194, 196, 198 through a respective center of the current sensors 214 when the current bars 194, 196, 198 are disposed in apertures 216 of the upper inner case 202. A similar current sensing technique is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,271,996, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Referring to FIG. 12, the current bars 194, 196, 198 are shown disposed in apertures 216 of the upper inner case 202. As described above, the current input path for each combination of current plates and current inputs is completed by a current bar 194, 196, 198. For example, when the IED is coupled to a three phase system, the current input path for phase C flows through current input 174 to current plate 162 through current bar 198 through current plate 168 and through current input 180. Each current rod is coupled to a respective current plate via a plurality of fasteners, such as washers/clips and nuts. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, current bar 198 is threaded on each end. A first washer or clip 161 and first nut 163 is coupled to first end 165 of current bar 198. An aperture 167 of current plate 186 is disposed over the first end 165 of current bar 198 and secured by second washer or clip 169 and second nut 171. Similarly, a third washer or clip 173 and third nut 175 is coupled to second end 177 of current bar 198. An aperture 179 of current plate 168 is disposed over the second end 177 of current bar 198 and secured by fourth washer or clip 169 and fourth nut 171. Current bars 194, 196 are assembled in a similar manner. It is to be appreciated that the current bars 194, 196, 198 limit movement of the metering sub-assembly 154 in the XYZ coordinate directions and provide structural strength.

To achieve more accurate current sensing at lower current ranges, a wire may be used in lieu of the current bars. A wire 181, 183, 185 is disposed through a respective aperture 216 and wound about the current sensor 214 internal to the metering sub-metering 154 by repeatedly inserting the respective wire through the aperture 216 as shown in FIG. 13A. The wire 181, 183, 185 is wrapped a predetermined number of times, e.g., about ten turns. After the wire is wrapped the predetermined number of turns, each end of the respective wire is coupled to a respective current plate. For example, wire 181 is coupled to current plate 158 on one end and to current plate 164 on the other end; wire 183 is coupled to current plate 160 on one end and to current plate 166 on the other end; and wire 185 is coupled to current plate 162 on one end and to current plate 168 on the other end.

In this embodiment, a current plate holder 187 provides structural strength similar to the strength provided by the current bars. A perspective view of the current plate holder 187 is shown in FIG. 13B and a front view of the current plate holder is shown in FIG. 13B. A first end 189 of the current plate holder 187 includes apertures or slots 191 that interact with current plates 158, 160, 162 and a second end 193 of the current plate holder 187 includes apertures or slots 195 that interact with current plates 164, 166, 168. As shown in FIG. 14, the current plate holder 187 is disposed over the portion of the metering sub-assembly 154 including wires 181, 183, 185. The first end 189 of the current plate holder 187 including apertures 191 interact with current plates 158, 160, 162 and the second end 193 of the current plate holder 187 including apertures 195 interact with current plates 164, 166, 168. In one embodiment, the current plate holder 187 snaps onto the current plates, i.e., a portion of the current plate snaps into the apertures or slots 191, 195, however, other configurations are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. The current plate holder 187 may include apertures 197 to dissappate heat generated by the wires 181, 183, 185.

Referring back to FIG. 11, a RS485/KYZ board assembly 218 is also disposed in the inner housing 206 perpendicular to the DSP board assembly 210 and electrically coupled thereto. It is to be appreciated that the DSP board assembly 210 is configured to accept and be coupled to other boards, for example, input/output boards that are disposed in the inner housing 206 via back plate 208. Such mounting/coupling techniques are disclosed and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,587,949, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in it entirety. Additionally, a plastic divider sheet 219 is disposed in the inner housing 206 separating the VIP board assembly 214 from other components, for example, the RS485/KYZ board assembly 218 and/or function modules or cards.

The DSP board assembly 210 is protected by bezel 108. In certain embodiments, a sticker 109 having identifying information, instructions, etc., is disposed over the bezel 108. Buttons 220 extends through apertures 222 in the bezel 108 and contact an input mechanism on a front surface of the DSP board assembly 210. The DSP board assembly 210 includes a battery receptacle 224 which when a battery is disposed therein provides battery backup to at least one storage device for retaining data upon a power loss and/or battery backup power for a real time clock (RTC) upon a power loss. To access the battery receptacle 224, the bezel 108 includes a battery aperture or window 226, as also shown in FIGS. 11, 15 and 16. The battery aperture 226 is configured to accept a battery drawer 228 that is configured to retain a battery 230 therein. When the battery drawer 228 is disposed in the battery window 226, a battery door 232 is disposed in the battery window 226 to secure the battery drawer 228. In one embodiment, the battery drawer 228 and the battery door 232 may be a single, unitary piece, wherein the battery 230 may be removed by removing the battery door 232. It is to be appreciated that the battery 230 is replaceable or “hot swappable”, that is, battery 230 may be changed without powering down the IED 100 so the IED 100 may remain in service. Additionally, the IED 100 includes a battery detection circuit for determining if the battery is holding a charge and for providing an indication, via the user interface, that the battery needs to be replaced, as will be described in greater detail below.

Referring to FIGS. 17, 20A and 21, the input base module sub-assembly 156 is illustrated, where FIG. 17A is an exploded view of the input base module sub-assembly 156, FIG. 20A is a perspective view of the input base module sub-assembly 156 and FIG. 21 is a side view of the input base module sub-assembly 156.

The input base module sub-assembly 156 includes generally circular base 114 having a plurality of aperture or slots 234 for receiving current and voltage input blades. The base 114 is shown in further detail in FIGS. 17B and 17C. A plurality of current input blades 170, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180 are provided. Each current input blade 170, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180 includes a first end 236 and a second end 238 which are configured in perpendicular planes relative to each other. The first end 236 includes a shoulder tab 240 for providing a stop when at least one gasket is placed over the first end 236. In one embodiment, a metal gasket 242 is placed over the first end 236 and positioned against the shoulder tab 240. Additionally, a rubber gasket 244 may be placed over the first end 236 and positioned against the metal gasket 242. The first end 236 is disposed in an appropriate slot 234 in the base 114, e.g. a current blade aperture or slot 235. The current blade is secured to the base by disposing a fixing member 246, e.g., a cotter pin, in aperture 248 of the first end 236 of the current blade. An exemplary fixing member 246 disposed in aperture 248 is shown in FIG. 22.

A plurality of voltage input blades 250 are provided for sensing voltage. Each voltage input blade 250 includes a first end 252 and a second end 254. The second end 254 includes a shoulder tab 256 for providing a stop when at least one gasket is placed over the first end 252. In one embodiment, a metal gasket 258 is placed over the first end 252 and positioned against the shoulder tab 256. Additionally, a rubber gasket 260 may be placed over the first end 252 and positioned against the metal gasket 258. The first end 252 is disposed in an appropriate slot 234 in the base 114, e.g., voltage blade aperture or slot 237. The voltage blade 250 is secured to the base by displacing tab 262 from the plane of the blade 250 as to make contact with the base 114.

A filter board 264 is disposed over the voltage input blades 250 and between the second ends 238 of the current input blades. Each voltage input blade 250 includes a contact 266 which is configured to have perpendicular surface with respect to the blade. Once the filter board is positioned on the base 114, each contact 266 makes contact with an input 276 on a rear surface 278 of the filter board 264, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. Referring to FIG. 19, each voltage input 276 of the filter board 264 includes a spring contact 280. By providing a spring contact 280 on the voltage input 276, no soldering is required between the voltage input 276 and the voltage blade 250 facilitating assembly. Additionally, since soldered is not used to rigidly fix the voltage blade, the filter board and/or voltage blade is less susceptible to being broken during the forces used when installing the IED, for example, into or out of a standard ANSI meter socket. Voltage sensed by each voltage input blade 250 is provided to the filter board 264 which subsequently provides power to other portions of the IED and at least one signal indicative of the voltage sensed via connector 268, the details of which are described below. It is to be appreciated that connector 268 is coupled to filter board 264 via cable 386.

The filter board 264 is secured to the base 114 via screws or other means 270 coupled to standoffs 272, e.g., at least four standoffs are shown in FIG. 17A. A filter box cover 274 is disposed over the filter board 264, as shown in FIGS. 20A and 21, to protect the filter board 264 and to route wires and cables from the base 114 to other portions of the IED as will be described below. It is to be appreciated that FIGS. 20B and 20C show additional views of filter box cover 274 and will be described in greater detail below.

Referring to FIG. 22, a rear left perspective view of the IED shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. As discussed previously, the base 114 includes a plurality of apertures 234 for receiving the current and voltage input blades internally so the current and voltage input blades extend from the rear surface 290 of the base 114. The base 114 further employs universal quick connectors for coupling wires to the base 114. For example, as seen in FIG. 22, base 114 includes apertures 307, 308, 310, 312, and 313, where connector 300 is disposed in aperture 307, connector 298 is disposed in aperture 308, connector 296 is disposed in aperture 310, connector 294 is disposed in aperture 313, and connector 292 is disposed in aperture 312. In one embodiment, connectors 292, 294, 296, 298, 300 include RJ-45 receptacles and apertures 307, 308, 310, 312, and 313 are configured to provide access to each receptacle. At least one of the connectors, for example, connector 296, is employed for RS-485 communications and for an KYZ pulse and is coupled to RS485/KYZ board assembly 218 (via cable 341 and connector 342 as can be seen in FIG. 4 and will be described in greater detail below). The other connectors 292, 294, 296, 300 can be internally coupled to various communication modules and/or input/output modules disposed in the inner housing 206. Connector 302 is provided to be coupled to an external, auxiliary power source when the internal components of the IED are not powered via the sensed voltage provided to a respective load being monitored by the IED. Additionally, meter hanger 303 is rotatably coupled to the base 114 via pin 305.

It is to be appreciated that one side of each connector includes a receptacle that can be accessed via a respective aperture of base 114 and the other side of each connector is configured to be coupled to various modules disposed in the inner housing 206 via a cable. For example, referring again to FIG. 20A, the rear sides or portions of connectors 292, 294, 296, 298, and 300 are shown disposed through apertures 312, 313, 310, 308, and 307 respectively. Connector 292 includes rear portion 293, connector 294 includes rear portion 295, connector 296 includes rear portion 340, connector 298 includes rear portion 299, and connector 300 includes rear portion 301. Connectors 292, 294, 296, 300 are coupled to base 114 via an I/O connector frame. Referring to FIG. 26, a single I/O connector frame 315 and a double I/O connector frame 317 are shown. In one embodiment, the connectors 292, 294, 296, 300 snap-in to an appropriate aperture of the I/O connector frame, e.g., aperture 319 of the single I/O connector frame 315.

Referring again to FIG. 22, it is to be appreciated that base 114 includes rear surface 290 which is offset from surface 304 by edge 306. Edge 306 allows for routing of cables that are coupled to the various connectors 292, 294, 296, 298, 300, when the IED is disposed in a socket. Furthermore, connector apertures 307, 308, 310, 312, and 313 include curved surfaces 314, 316, 318, where curved surface 314 corresponds to apertures 307 and 308, curved surface 316 corresponds to aperture 310, and curved service 318 corresponds to apertures 312 and 313 to allow for a 90 degree radius of a bend for any wire or cable coupled to a respective connector. By providing curved surfaces 314, 316, 318, cables coupled to the various connectors 292, 294, 296, 298, 300 are less suspectible to damage as opposed to having a sharp or squared edge at the apertures, i.e., the cables may conform to the curved surfaces without having to make abrupt bends.

Referring to FIGS. 23A, 24 and 25, a perspective view of the IED 100 hinged open in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 23A, with a top view shown in FIG. 24 and a side elevational view shown in FIG. 25. As described above, the metering sub-assembly 154 is hinged to the input base module sub-assembly 156 via current plates 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168 and current input blades 170, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180 respectively. Each current plate is coupled to a respective current input blade via a spring loaded, captive screw. By uncoupling at least two corresponding sets of the spring loaded screws, the IED is hingedly opened to expose a front portion of the input base module sub-assembly 156 and a rear portion of the metering sub-assembly 154. For example, by uncoupling screw 182 and correspond screw 188 and screw 184 and corresponding screw 190, the metering sub-assembly 154 and the input base module sub-assembly 156 will be hingedly coupled via screw 186 and corresponding screw 192, i.e., to move the IED 100 to an open position as shown in FIGS. 23-25 and a closed position as shown in FIGS. 5-9. By employing spring loaded, captive screws 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, the screws enable a respective current blade to be disengaged from a respective current input blade, while the screw remains coupled to the respective current plate to prevent loss of the screw. It is to be appreciated that other types of fasteners, in lieu of spring loaded captive screws, may be employed to couple a current plate to a respective current input blade. It is further to be appreciated that each current input blade includes an aperture for receiving or mating with the screws 182, 184, 196, 188, 190, 192. For example, current input blade 170 includes aperture 199 for mating with screw 182. Although not specifically pointed out, each current input blade includes a similar aperture.

In the open position, wiring between the metering sub-assembly 154 and the input base module sub-assembly 156 is facilitated. For example, a rear side 340 of connector 296 is exposed on the input base module sub-assembly 156. In one embodiment, the metering sub-assembly 154 includes a RS-485/KYZ connector 342, where RS-485/KYZ connector 342 is coupled to a receptacle 347 (shown in FIG. 26) which is coupled to RS-485/KYZ board 218. RS-485/KYZ connector 342 can then be coupled to the rear side 340 of connector 296, for example, via a patch cable. It is to be appreciated that patch cable 341 can be seen coupled to connector 342 and rear portion 340 of connector 296 in FIGS. 4 and 5. Additionally, the metering sub-assembly 154 includes connector 268 which includes a power input portion 346 and a voltage sensing input portion 348. Power and voltage sensed is provided by the filter board 264 to connector 268 via cable 386. It is to be appreciated that cable 386 can be seen coupled to connector 268 in FIG. 4. The connector 268 is received by receptacle 344 (most clearly shown in FIG. 26), where receptacle 344 is coupled to the VIP board 212.

The functionality of the IED 100 can be expanded by the addition of function modules or cards disposed in the metering sub-assembly 154 and coupled to the DSP board assembly 210. Referring to FIG. 26, function modules or cards 320, 322 are disposed in the metering sub-assembly 154 via apertures or slots 324, 326 in the back plate 208. When the function modules or cards 320, 322 are fully seated in the metering sub-assembly 154, an edge 328, 330 of the function modules or cards 320, 322 respectively are received by an appropriate connector of the DSP board assembly 210 and is thus coupled thereto.

It is to be appreciated that the function modules or cards 320, 322 may add functionality to the IED by including additional processing devices, additional memories or a combination thereof that work in cooperation, or independently, with the processing devices of the DSP board assembly 210. In other embodiments, the function modules or cards 320, 322 may expand the input/output (I/O) and/or the communication capabilities of the IED. For example, exemplary I/O modules or cards may include a four channel bi-directional 0-1 mA output card, a four channel 4-20 mA output card, a two relay output/two status input card, a four pulse output/four status input card, etc. or any combination thereof.

Exemplary communication cards or modules may include a 100Base T Ethernet card, an IEC 61850 protocol Ethernet card, a fiber optic communication card, among others. It is to be appreciated that the Ethernet card or module may add at least one of the following capabilities and/or procotols to the IED including, but not limited to, Modbus TCP, DNP 3.0, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), SNMP, encryption, IEEE 1588 time sync, etc. It is further to be appreciated that two communication cards or modules may be employed to provide dual Ethernet ports. In one embodiment, the dual Ethernet ports may be configured such that each port is independent and communicatively isolated from the other port. Such a configuration is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,747,733, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In this embodiment, each port has a unique identifier, e.g., an IP address, and may be connected to a different network than the other port. In another embodiment, each port connects to the same network. In this embodiment, each port may have the same identifier, e.g., IP address, wherein one of the two ports acts as an Ethernet switch to facilitate network wiring.

It is to be appreciated that the above-mentioned list of cards and/or modules, whether intelligent or passive, is not exhaustive and other types of inputs, outputs and communication protocols are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Further exemplary cards and/or modules and techniques for coupling such cards and/or modules to add functionality, capabilities, etc. are disclosed and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,184,904 and 7,994,934, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Referring back to FIG. 23A, a 100Base T Ethernet card 332 is shown inserted into slot 324 and a two relay output/two status input card 334 is shown inserted into slot 326. Card 332 includes a connector 336, e.g., an RJ-45 receptacle, which may then be coupled via a patch cable to a connector on the base 114, for example, rear portion 299 of connector 298. Similarly, card 334 includes a connector 338, e.g., a crimp connector. It is to be appreciated that the patch cables may be configured with preformed ends to facilitate installation. Referring to FIGS. 23B-23D, an exemplary patch cable 321 is provided. The patch cable 321 may be configured to include connector 298 on one end of a multiconductor cable 325 and a RJ45 plug 323 on the other end of the cable 325. In this manner, the RJ45 plug 323 of the patch cable 321 merely needs to be plugged into the connector 336 on card 332 and the connector 298 needs to be mated to the I/O connector frame 317, e.g., plugged or snapped into. It is further to be appreciated that the RJ45 connector and connector 289 are merely exemplary and other types of plugs, receptacles, connectors, etc. are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

It is to be appreciated that certain types of cards may be coupled to separate connectors on base 114 for separate input/output communication. For example, in one embodiment, the two relay output/two status input card 334 is configured to be coupled to two different connectors coupled to base 114. In one embodiment, the top portion of connector 338 may be coupled via a patch cable to a connector on the base 114, for example, rear portion 301 of connector 300 for input communication and the bottom portion of connector 338 may be coupled via a patch cable to another connector on the base 114, for example, rear portion 293 of connector 292. In another embodiment, the patch cable may be configured to include a single connector on one end for interacting with connector 338 of card 334, while the other end of the patch cable includes two separate connectors, e.g., connector 292 and connector 300. Such an exemplary patch cable is shown in FIG. 23E as cable 327. Patch cable 327 includes a single connector 329 for coupling to connector 338 of card 334. The connector 329 is coupled to a first multiconductor cable 331 terminating with connector 300 and connector 329 is coupled to a second multiconductor cable 333 terminating with connector 292. Legend 335 indicates an exemplary wiring configuration between connector 329 and connector 292 and legend 337 indicates an exemplary wiring configuration between connector 329 and connector 300.

It is to be appreciated that when no additional function modules or cards are used, a blank plate (not shown) is disposed over slots 332, 334. Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that when no additional function module or cards are used, one or more of connectors 292, 294, 296, 298, and/or 300 may be removed and blank plates or covers (not shown) may be disposed over apertures 307, 308, 310, 312, and/or 313. In one embodiment, the blank plates or covers disposed over apertures 307, 308, 310, 312, and/or 313 may interact with an aperture of the I/O connector frame to secure the covers to the base 114.

In one embodiment, when one or more of connectors 292, 294, 296, 298, 300 is coupled to base 114, the receptacle of each respective connector that is coupled to base 114 is color coded, where the color of the receptacle (as seen from the rear side of the base 114 as shown in FIG. 22) corresponds to the type of card or module the respective connector is coupled to internally in the IED. In this way, when the IED is in a closed position (i.e., the current plates of metering sub-assembly 154 are each coupled to the current input blades of input base module sub-assembly 156) the type of modules and/or cards included in the IED and connected to a respective connector on base 114 is readily discernable by a user without the need to open the IED A legend including the colors associated with each connector may be included on a surface of the IED. For example, in one embodiment, a legend may be included on sticker 151 disposed on upper clam shell half 150 or on sticker 153 disposed on lower clam shell half 152 (as seen in FIG. 10). The legend may include various colors assigned to the different cards/modules that can be included in the IED. For example, in one embodiment, the legend may have the color white associated with an 100Base T Ethernet card, the color green associated with an IEC 61850 protocol Ethernet card, the color yellow associated with the four channel bi-directional 0-1 mA output card, the color black associated with the four channel 4-20 mA output card, and the color grey associated with RS-485/KYZ card. It is to be appreciated that the legend may also include colors associated to one of two ports of a card (i.e., input or output) for cards that are connected to two different connectors on base 114. For example, in one embodiment the legend may have the color pink associated with the input of the four pulse output/four status input card, the color blue with the output of the four pulse output/four status input card, the color brown associated with the input of the two relay output/two status input card (e.g., card 334 in FIG. 26), and the color purple associated with the output of the two relay output/two status input card. It is to be appreciated that the above described color associations are merely exemplary and that any color association can be used to indicate which connector coupled to base 114 is associated to a specific card/module of the IED.

Referring to FIGS. 20B and 20C, perspective views of front side 275 and rear side 271 of filter box cover 274 are shown in accordance with the present disclosure. As stated above, filter box cover 274 is configured to protect filter board 264 and to facilitate the routing of wires from connectors coupled to base 114 to other portions of the IED. Filter box cover 274 includes a plurality of clips 284 that enable the filter box cover 274 to be snapped onto the filter board 264. When filter box cover 274 is coupled to the filter board 264, filter board 264 is disposed in the interior 277 of filter box cover 274 and is protected. Filter box cover 274 also includes a plurality of louver 282 to facilitate the dissipation of heat generated by filter board 264 and other components of the IED.

Additionally, in one embodiment, filter box cover 274 includes apertures 279, 286, and 288, where apertures 286 and 288 can also be seen in FIGS. 20A and 23. Aperture 279 is configured to provide an opening or path for cable 386 (as seen in FIGS. 6, 12, 13, 14, and 24) which couples filter board 264 to receptacle 344 when filter board 264 is disposed in the interior of filter box cover 274 and filter box cover 274 is coupled to base 114. Aperture 286 is configured to receive and pass through a cable coupled to one of rear portion 299 of connector 298 or rear portion 301 of connector 300 and a connector (such as connector 336 or connector 338) coupled to a card (such as card 320 or card 322) disposed in one of slots 324 and 326. Aperture 288 is configured to receive and pass through a cable coupled to one of rear portion 295 of connector 296 and rear portion 293 of connector 294 and a connector (such as connector 336 or connector 338) coupled to a card (such as card 320 or card 322) disposed in one of slots 324 and 326.

As described above, voltage sensed by each voltage input blade 250 is provided to the filter board 264 which subsequently provides power to other portions of the IED and at least one signal indicative of the voltage sensed from the electrical distribution system via cable 286 and connector 268. Referring to FIG. 27A, a top surface 360 of the filter board 264 is illustrated, while FIG. 27B illustrates the bottom surface 278 of the filter board 264. The bottom surface 278 of the filter board 264 includes at least one contact pad 362, 364, 366, 368 that is coupled to a corresponding voltage input 276, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. The sensed voltage is then passed through the various components of the IED to provide a sensed voltage for example, for each phase of an electrical distribution system, and provide power as will be described in relation to FIG. 29.

The sensed voltage for each phase is provided by a contact point on the top surface 360 of the filter board 264. Referring to FIG. 27A, contact point 370 provides sensed voltage for phase A, contact point 372 provides sensed voltage for phase B, contact point 374 provides sensed voltage for phase C, and contact point 376 provides sensed voltage for neutral. Additionally, power is provided through contact point 378 for DC+, contact point 380 for DC− and contact point 382 for ground. Referring to FIG. 28, a filter board assembly 384 includes the filter board 264, a wiring harness or cable 386 and connector 268. FIG. 28 illustrates the wiring between the filter board 264 and connector 268 as indicated by legend 388. The sensed voltage for each phase and power for various components of the IED are transmitted from the filter board 264 via cable 386 to the VIP board 212. In certain embodiments, the sensed voltage for each phase may be further transmitted to the DSP board 210 for further processing. It is to be appreciated that the wiring harness or cable 386 may include a twisted pair connection to reduce noise and prevent other interfering signals from being wrongfully coupled to the wiring harness or cable 268. In other embodiment, the wiring harness or cable 268 may be enclosed by a ferrite bead noise reduction filter to limit an amount of conducted and radiated noise being emitted from the IED.

Referring to FIG. 29, an electrical schematic diagram of the filter board circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. It is to be appreciated that similar reference numbers and/or labels (e.g., D1 for diode, R1 for resistor) shown in FIG. 29 correspond to reference numbers and/or labels on the filter board 264 shown in FIGS. 27A and 27B. Voltage is sensed, via input voltage blades 250, and input to the circuit 390 at contact pads 362, 364, 366, 368. The input voltage initially passes through a current limiting section 392 where a current limiting resistor R1, R2, R3, R4, is coupled in series with each voltage input. The output of the current limiting resistors R1, R2, R3, R4 is transmitted to a rectifier section 394. A suppressor section 396 is coupled in parallel to the transmission paths between the current limiting section 392 and rectifier section 394. The suppressor section 396 includes at least one at capacitor and at least one metal oxide varistor (MOV) coupled in parallel with each voltage input path. For example, the voltage input path for phase A 398 includes a series combination of capacitors C1, C14 in parallel with path 398 and one metal oxide varistor MOV1 coupled in parallel with the path 398; the voltage input path for phase B 400 includes a series combination of capacitors C2, C15 in parallel with path 400 and one metal oxide varistor MOV2 coupled in parallel with the path 400; the voltage input path for phase C 402 includes a series combination of capacitors C3, C16 in parallel with path 402 and one metal oxide varistor MOV3 coupled in parallel with the path 402; and the voltage input path for neutral 404 includes a series combination of capacitors C4, C17 in parallel with path 404 and one metal oxide varistor MOV4 coupled in parallel with the path 404. Capacitors C1-C4, C14-C17 are provided for suppressing noise. The metal oxide varistors MOV1, MOV2, MOV3, MOV4 clamp the input voltage to prevent an over-voltage surge condition between each phase which may result in damage to the rectifier section 394 or other components thereafter. The values of the metal oxide varistors MOV1, MOV2, MOV3, MOV4 shown in FIG. 29 are exemplary values and are chosen based on the ratings of the components of the rectifier section 394 and components thereafter. Additionally, a common mode clamping device 406, e.g., a gas tube, is provided for clamping the voltage between any sensed phase and earth potential. Resistor (R6) 407 is provided in series with clamping device 406 to reduce current flow through clamping device 406 thereby extending the useful life of clamping device 406 and other components in the circuit. By employing earth potential as the reference for each phase provides for a safer environment as compared to conventional IEDs or meters that employ neutral as the reference.

It is to be appreciated that the current limiting resistors R1, R2, R3, R4 and resistor R6 407 limit the amount of current passing through the metal oxide varistors MOV1, MOV2, MOV3, MOV4 and clamping device 406 to prevent damage to the metal oxide varistors MOV1, MOV2, MOV3, MOV4 and clamping device 406 and lengthen their lifetime.

The rectifier section 394 receives AC voltage as sensed by the voltage input blades and converts the AC voltage to a DC voltage. The DC voltage is then passed to the common mode choke or filter 408, e.g., an inductor, to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) on the power supply lines. The DC voltage is then passed to buffer 410 for storing energy to be supplied via DC+ 378 and DC− 380. The buffer 410 includes capacitors C5, C6, C7, C8 and resistors R5, R8. An additional noise suppression section 412 is optionally provided at the output including capacitors C9, C11, C12, C13.

In another embodiment, voltage used for supplying power to the various components of the IED may be supplied via an auxiliary power source, e.g., coupled to auxiliary connector 302 as shown in FIG. 22. In this embodiment, sensed voltage via pads 362, 364, 366, 368 is provided to the VIP board 212 for determining the respective voltages of the electrical distribution system and components R1, R2, R3, R4 are removed so the sensed voltage does not pass to the rectifier section 394. Auxiliary power provided via connector 302 is coupled to contact point 414 (VCMID) and contact point 416 (VNMID) which is then passed to rectifier section 394. In this embodiment, only portion 418 of suppression section 396 is employed and components C1, C14, MOV1, C2, C15 and MOV2 may be removed. The remaining circuit operates as described above.

It is to be appreciated that the filter board 264 provides full surge suppression at transient voltage conditions, i.e., the filter board 264 snubs transient voltage events that traditionally damage conventional meters and thus improves reliability of meters/IEDs utilizing the filter board 264 of the present disclosure. That is, the metal oxide varistors MOV1, MOV2, MOV3, MOV4 suppress phase-to-phase voltage transients, while the clamping device 406 suppresses phase-to-earth voltage transients. It is further to be appreciated that line surge suppression is not found in revenue meters or revenue IEDs, and therefore, it is envisioned that other forms of line surge suppression may be designed and that such line surge suppression techniques are contemplated to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 30, an electrical schematic diagram of a battery backup circuit 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The circuit 500 includes a real-time clock (RTC) 502 that generates a clock signal that may be used by CPU 50 to determine an amount of energy consumed by a load over a given period of time, e.g., revenue metering. Under normal operating conditions, the RTC 502 is powered via pin 4 (i.e., input VCC), where pin 4 receives a predetermined voltage, e.g., 3.3 volts, from a power supply which may be powered by filter board circuit 390. Upon a loss of power provided to pin 4 of RTC 502, a battery 504 provides power to the RTC 502 via pin 16 (i.e., inout VBAT) so the RTC 502 maintains proper time. It is to be appreciated that battery 504 is battery 230 shown in FIG. 16. By employing circuit 500 as configured in FIG. 30, the battery 504 may be removed and replaced without powering down the IED 100 and/or the RTC 502, i.e., the IED 100 may remain in service while the battery is being replaced.

Additionally, the circuit 500 includes a battery detection circuit, e.g., comparator 506, that compares a voltage level of battery 504 with a predetermined voltage level, e.g., 3.3 volts, to generate a signal indicating that the battery 504 needs to be replaced. The predetermined voltage is input to pin 5 (i.e., input VCC) of comparator 506. Pin 3 of the comparator (i.e., input INP) is in parallel with the battery 504. When the comparator 506 determines that the voltage at pin 3 is below the predetermined voltage applied to pin 5, the comparator 506 generates a signal 508 (i.e., BATTMONITOR) indicating that the battery 504 needs to be replaced. It is to be appreciated that the comparator 506 may include an offset before generating the signal 508, i.e., may not generate the signal 508 until the voltage at pin 3 is below the predetermined voltage minus the offset. The replace battery signal 508 may then be transmitted to the CPU 50 which then provides an indication of same on the display 106. A user may then replace the battery as described above in relation to FIGS. 15 and 16.

It is to be appreciated that the various features shown and described are interchangeable, that is a feature shown in one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment.

While non-limiting embodiments are disclosed herein, many variations are possible which remain within the concept and scope of the present disclosure. Such variations would become clear to one of ordinary skill in the art after inspection of the specification, drawings and claims herein. The present disclosure therefore is not to be restricted except within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Furthermore, although the foregoing text sets forth a detailed description of numerous embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the present disclosure is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One could implement numerous alternate embodiments, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘_(——————)’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An intelligent electronic device (IED) comprising: a housing; a base coupled to the housing, the base including a first side oriented toward the exterior of the housing, a second side oriented toward the interior of the housing, and at least one aperture for receiving at least one first connector, the at least one aperture extending from the first side to the second side; a multi-conductor cable including a first end and a second end; the at least one first connector coupled to the first end of the multi-conductor cable, the at least one first connector including a receptacle, wherein when the at least one first connector is disposed through the at least one aperture, the receptacle is accessible via the first side of the base; and at least one second connector coupled to the second end of the multi-conductor cable, the at least one second connector configured to be coupled to at least one function module disposed within the housing.
 2. The IED of claim 1, further comprising at least one connector frame configured to couple the at least one first connector to the base when the at least one first connector is disposed through the at least one aperture.
 3. The IED of claim 2, further comprising a blank plate, wherein the base includes at least one second aperture for receiving at least one second connector and the blank plate is disposed over the at least one second aperture when the at least one second connector is not disposed in the aperture.
 4. The IED of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is an RJ-45 receptacle.
 5. The IED of claim 1, wherein the at least one function module is a removable card.
 6. The IED of claim 5, wherein the removable card is at least one of an input/output card and/or a communication card.
 7. The IED of claim 6, wherein the input/output card is at least one of a four channel bi-directional 0-1 mA output card, a four channel 4-20 mA output card, a two relay output/two status input card and/or a four pulse output/four status input card.
 8. The IED of claim 6, wherein the communication card is at least one of 100Base T Ethernet card, an IEC61850 protocol Ethernet card and/or a fiber optic communication card.
 9. The IED of claim 1, wherein the at least one function module is a fixed circuit board.
 10. The IED of claim 9, wherein the fixed circuit board is configured for providing RS-485 communications and/or a KYZ pulse.
 11. The IED of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is color coded and the color of the receptacle corresponds to the type of the at least one function module disposed within the housing.
 12. The IED of claim 11, further comprising a color code legend disposed on an external surface of the housing, the color code legend indicating at least one color corresponding to the type of the at least one function module.
 13. The IED of claim 1, wherein the base is configured in a generally circular shape to be received by a socket.
 14. The IED of claim 13, wherein the first side of the base includes a first surface and a second surface, the first surface offset from the second surface defining an edge configured for routing at least one cable external to the housing to be coupled to the receptacle when the base is disposed on the socket.
 15. The IED of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a perimeter of the at least one aperture includes a curved surface configured to enable at least one cable external to the housing to conform to the curved surface when coupled to the receptacle.
 16. The IED of claim 1, further comprising at least one third connector including a receptacle and at least one second multi-conductor cable including a first end and a second end, the at least one third connector coupled to the first end of the at least one second multi-conductor cable and the at least one second end of the multi-conductor cable coupled to the at least one second connector, wherein the base includes at least one second aperture for receiving the at least one third connector, such that when the at least one third connector is disposed through the at least one second aperture, the receptacle of the at least one third connector is accessible via the first side of the base.
 17. The IED of claim 1, further comprising a second receptacle disposed internal to the housing, the second receptacle configured to receive the at least one second connector to couple the at least one second connector to the at least one function module.
 18. An intelligent electronic device (IED) comprising: an input base module sub-assembly configured to be coupled to an electrical distribution system; and a metering sub-assembly including at least one current sensing circuit configured to sense current from the electrical distribution system received via the input base module sub-assembly, the metering sub-assembly being hindgedly connected to the input base module sub-assembly such that the input base module sub-assembly is configured to be pivoted about the metering sub-assembly to achieve an open position and a closed position relative to the metering sub-assembly, wherein, in the open position, the metering sub-assembly is configured to receive at least one card to expand the functionality of the IED, and the input base module sub-assembly includes at least one aperture configured to receive a cable coupled to the received at least one card such that the received at least one card is accessible external to the IED.
 19. The IED of claim 18, wherein the cable includes a first end and a second end, the first end including a receptacle configured to be disposed through the at least one aperture and to be accessible external to the IED, the second end including a plug connector configured to be coupled to the received at least one card.
 20. The IED of claim 19, wherein the receptacle is color coded and the color of the receptacle corresponds to a type of the received at least one card disposed within the IED. 